Finishing my experiments with the Modified Arrancars, an intriguing idea struck me. Does a modification necessarily have to involve a Hollow? Take the Ninth Espada, for instance. That Ninth Espada was a Hollow born from Is’s experiments, utilizing the memories and abilities of the Soul Reaper Kaien Shiba after devouring him. This sparked a specific line of inquiry in my mind.
To bring this fascinating theory to life, I required a few prerequisites. To begin the experiment that would craft my very own, personal Fracción, certain components were non-negotiable. First and foremost was the Hogyoku; without it, this research couldn’t even leave the starting line. Next was 'that,' which I had already dispatched a subordinate to retrieve. Beyond that, I had fifty of my ability-imbued Modified Arrancars and a hoard of weaker Hollows ready to serve as fodder. The moment 'that' arrived, the experiment would begin.
Knock, knock.
“Lord Lucifer, I have captured the human as you commanded.”
“Good work. Leave the human here and get out.”
I offered a brief word of dismissal to the Arrancar who had efficiently carried out my orders. Without a word, he set the human down and vanished. The unconscious human was a girl. She had short, black hair in a style somewhat reminiscent of Ichigo Kurosaki, dressed in a school uniform. Her name was...
“Uugh... Who did... Urgh.”
The girl stirred, clutching the back of her neck where the Arrancar had likely struck her to knock her out. As she struggled to sit up, I stepped forward, reaching out a hand with a chilling smile.
“Welcome to my palace, Las Noches! Arisawa Tatsuki!”
“What?! Who are you? How do you know my name? And where the hell is this?!”
Despite being kidnapped and brought to a foreign desert wasteland, the girl shouted back with remarkable grit. This was Arisawa Tatsuki—a friend of Ichigo Kurosaki and a human possessed of incredibly high spiritual awareness. More importantly, she was to be the primary catalyst for my experiment and my future loyal Fracción.
“I’ll say it again: Welcome, Arisawa Tatsuki. My name is Lucifer La El. I am the one who shall become your master. Kehehehe!”
“You crazy bastard! Who do you think is my master?!”
“Oh, you’ll realize it soon enough. Right after you die in that current shell of yours.”
“Wh—?!”
Pshk!
Her spirit was commendable, but she had chosen the wrong opponent. First, I needed to extract her soul. For that, her physical body had to die. A razor-thin needle of Cero fired from my fingertip, lancing straight through Tatsuki Arisawa’s heart. She didn’t even have time to register the pain as blood sprayed from the puncture in her chest. She died instantly.
“Now then, the real experiment begins. Kehehehe!”
The most crucial ingredient for what came next was Arisawa Tatsuki’s soul! Specifically, a soul with that magnificent spiritual awareness capable of perceiving Hollows and Soul Reapers alike. In other words, a soul with the inherent potential to become a Soul Reaper herself.
“Alright. Once she wakes up, I’ll have to recreate the same experiment Kisuke Urahara used to turn Ichigo Kurosaki into a Soul Reaper.”
Becoming a Soul Reaper isn’t inherently complex. The primary condition is whether one possesses Spiritual Power or not. After that, it’s just a matter of learning how to use it. That’s what the Shin'ō Academy—the Soul Reaper training school—is for. If they can manufacture Soul Reapers, there’s no reason I can’t.
“Once she’s awake, I’ll explain the situation and dive right in. Severing the Chain of Fate will be a simple first step. After that, everything depends on Tatsuki Arisawa’s own heart and talent.”
Possessing knowledge of the Hogyoku’s true power, I smiled, placing my bets on her mental fortitude. Everything rested on her will. If she failed to become a Soul Reaper and succumbed, it didn’t matter; she would simply become an interesting scrap of material for something else.
“What was that?! Pant, pant. Was... was it a dream?”
I had just experienced the most horrific nightmare. I was on my way home when a man wearing a strange mask kidnapped me and dragged me to a bizarre place called Las Noches. There was a madman there—a silver-haired man with piercing blue eyes dressed in white. He claimed his name was Lucifer La El and said some crazy things about being my master. Then, he killed me. But since I feel fine now, it must have been a dream...
“Keke, I’m afraid it wasn’t a dream. Take a good look at your chest.”
“How?!”
The madman spoke as if he had been standing right next to me the whole time. Following his voice, I looked down at my chest. There, I saw a strange chain. It was anchored right in the center of my sternum, looking as if it had burst through my very flesh.
“No way! What is this?!”
“Hahaha! To put it simply, you are currently a ghost. That chain is called the Chain of Fate. It’s the vital link that maintains your existence as a soul. If it were to disappear...”
“If it disappears? What happens?”
“You’ll become a Hollow, just like those things.”
The madman pointed into the distance. Following his finger, I saw a pack of monsters wearing white masks huddled together. I had seen things like that before. Hollows.
“What exactly is a Hollow?! Why would losing this chain turn me into a monster like that?!”
“Mm, explaining all that would take far too much time. Let’s keep it simple: you died by my hand, and now, by my hand, you are on the verge of becoming a Hollow.”
Grip!
Claiming he was bored of my questions, the man reached out and grabbed the chain on my chest, yanking it with violent force.
“Gah! Stop...! It hurts! It hurts so much!”
The agony radiating from my chest was greater than anything I had ever felt in my life. Tears and snot streamed down my face, but the man didn’t even blink. He continued to wrench the chain before finally letting go.
“Wheeze... cough... pant...”
“Now, in about twelve hours, you will become a Hollow like them. There is only one way to avoid that fate: you must become a Soul Reaper.”
The man spoke to me as I gasped for air, the pain slowly receding into a dull throb. As I looked down, I saw the chain had changed. The end of it was beginning to self-cannibalize, transforming into a maw that was slowly eating away at the links.
“That is called Encroachment. If it reaches your chest before you become a Soul Reaper, your transformation into a Hollow will be complete.”
“Pant... pant... What is a Soul Reaper? How do I even become one?!”
“Think of your friend. That orange-haired Substitute Soul Reaper. If you do, you’ll understand why you’re here and what a Soul Reaper is.”
“Think of... Ichigo?”
The friend the madman mentioned was Ichigo Kurosaki. I knew he had strong spiritual awareness and could see ghosts since we were kids. I didn’t understand what the man meant, but if Ichigo was hiding something—if what everyone else was hiding from me involved this 'Soul Reaper' business...
“Just what the hell have you been hiding, Ichigo...?”
We had known each other for years, but I realized I didn't truly know what he was thinking or what secrets he kept. But now wasn't the time for reflection. I had to solve this situation. To survive, I had to become the 'Soul Reaper' this man spoke of.
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